New Graduate Students Arrive on Campus
By Mika Ono
Thirty-seven new students have arrived at The Scripps Research
Institute (TSRI), ready to start their graduate work in TSRI's
top-ranked programs. Most have already begun lab work and
all will attend their first classes this week.
"We're excited that the new students, who together make
up TSRI's largest class ever, are here," says Marylyn Rinaldi,
graduate program administrator. "We look forward to getting
to know them better and to seeing them develop as scientists
over the next several years."
The students—who come from undergraduate institutions
that include Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Northwestern, Carnegie
Mellon, Peking University, University of Laval, and several
schools in the University of California system—were drawn
to TSRI's program in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure
and Chemistry (MCSC) or Chemistry by TSRI's outstanding faculty,
interdisciplinary focus, and excellent reputation. To complete
the programs, which is usually accomplished over five years,
students must take a series of classes, pass qualifying exams,
and write a doctoral dissertation offering an original contribution
to their field.
For now, however, the new students are still working on
getting settled—learning their way around campus, finding
transportation and a place to live, and completing necessary
paperwork. The Office of Graduate Studies supports the students
in the transition, arranging for temporary housing, offering
lists of nearby apartment complexes, and matching them with
potential roommates.
To familiarize students with TSRI's support services, the
Office of Graduate Studies sets up an orientation that includes
presentations on the library, safety, benefits, intellectual
property, research computing, biomedical graphics, counseling,
and core facilities.
And to orient students to the research at TSRI, the office
arranges an extraordinary series of presentations by investigators
representing labs from across campus. MCSC students hear over
60 researchers in a series of five two-hour meetings. Chemistry
Program students also learn about the work in their field
by attending eight one-hour presentations.
"It's helpful for the students to get a broad overview of
the science here—especially the MCSC students, who are
required to complete rotations through different labs before
they select their thesis project," says Rinaldi. "The presentations
give the students ideas about which labs best match their
research interests."
The graduate program student/faculty retreat, to be held
this year at the Shelter Pointe Hotel and Marina on Friday,
September 14, also offers new students an opportunity to gain
insight into the research and culture at TSRI. At the retreat,
all students (except first-years and those scheduled to defend
their thesis) present their work in the form of talks or posters.
"We're doing everything we can to help the new students
get off to a good start at home and at TSRI," says Rinaldi.
"We want to clear the way for them to start making important
discoveries."
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First-year student Rocio Carrera gets
started in the Janda lab. (Photo by Jason S. Bardi)
Graduate Student Anna Speers tells first-year
students about the journal club. (Photo by Jason S. Bardi)
Tom Wu and Dan Calarese get to know
other students at the graduate student happy hour, held every
other Friday throughout the academic year. (Photo by
Jason S. Bardi)
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